Supporting NAMI on Campus

ANONYMOUS ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH SCREEN

at KSU, East Liverpool and Salem Campuses

On October 11th, 2012 (and offered for the entire 2012-2013 school year) Kent State University Psychological services and Active Minds will partner with Screening for Mental Health Inc. (SMH) to promote National Depression Screening Day. This mental health promotion campaign is held in conjunction with NAMI’s Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW).

With the support of University Psychological Services and Active Minds, the East Liverpool and Salem Campuses at KSU will provide an ANONYMOUS ON-LINE Mental Health SCREENING for the entire 2012-2013 school year. This tool screens for Depression, Anxiety, PTSD and Bi-Polar Disorder. Once the screen is completed the student will receive results, resources, referrals to counseling for additional evaluation and emergency contact for acute and emergency need. Go To www.col.kent.edu/counseling to take your free, anonymous screen. To make an appointment for counseling services at Salem and East Liverpool campuses, click on the request service tool on the counseling web page. Our campus mental health counselor will contact you via your KSU e-mail to confirm your appointment date and time.

Screenings are not a professional diagnosis, but simply identify the presence or absence of various symptoms. Depressive symptoms lasting for more than two weeks should be evaluated by a medical doctor or mental health professional. For more information about depression and other mental health concerns, view the various links found on the counseling web page (www.col.kent.edu/counseling).

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) takes placeOctober 7-13 and is an opportunity to learn more about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorderand schizophrenia.

Mental illnesses are medical illnesses. One in four adults experiences a mental health problem in any given year. One in17 lives with serious, chronic illness.

According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI),“Many people in our community are directly affected by mental illness,” “The good news is that treatment does work andrecovery is possible.”

On average, people living with serious mental illness live 25 years less than the rest of the population. One reason is thatless than one-third of adults and less than one-half of children with a diagnosed illness receive treatment.

“The U.S. Surgeon General has reported that stigma is a major barrier to people seeking help when they need it,” NAMI said. “That’s why MIAW is so important. We want people to understand mental illness and join a dialogue in our community. The more people know, the better they can help themselves or help their loved ones get the help and support they need.”

When mental health care isn’t available in a community, the results often are lost jobs and careers, broken families, more homelessness, more welfare and much more expensive costs for hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes, schools, police and even courts, jails and prisons.

Learn more about mental illness support, education and advocacy at www.nami.org.

Ohio Programs for Campus Mental Health and Safety, supported by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) a division of HHS (Federal Government Department of Health and Human Services), awarded the Salem and East Liverpool Campuses at Kent State University (in collaboration with the tri-county Mental Health and Recovery Boards, Help Hotline and Youngstown State University) one of 10 state-wide grants.

The purpose of the grant is to promote mental health, reduce stigma and educate students, faculty and gatekeepers on recognizing warning signs to prevent suicide. Using the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Board’s mantra, Kathrine Vance-Righetti M.Ed. PC/CR, counselor for both campuses, makes it clear to freshman orientation students that “Mental Health is Health”, that 25% to 40% of university students will experience depressive symptoms, that mental health counseling support is available on campus and with advocacy and knowledge suicide is preventable.